Last Stand
by linguisticsrock
Summary: A one-shot about the day that Luke, Annabeth, Grover and Thalia reached Camp Half-Blood. Luke POV. NEW: I edited this up a bit, nothing major, just some little changes to make it better


**Last Stand**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or any of it's characters.**

**This is a one-shot on when Annabeth, Grover, Luke and Thalia were nearly to Camp Half-Blood and Thalia got turned into a tree.**

**Luke POV**

Please, we were almost there. If we could just make it up the stinkin' hill, we would be home-free. Dozens of monsters practically snapped at our heels. Hellhounds, dracaena and the Furies were all chasing us, and with each second they got closer.

Thalia and I were running and fighting at the same time, trying to take out the creatures before they got anywhere close to Annabeth.

No offense to Grover, but he was useless. He didn't have a weapon on him, he didn't have teeth or claws, and even if he had, he was too much of a pacifist to do a thing. All he could do was shout that we were nearly there.

I was fighting a hellhound, three dracaena, and a Fury. Nothing was registering in my mind, only action and reaction.

Somehow through it all I managed to scream, "Grover! Get Annabeth to safety! Get help!" Out of the corner of my eye I saw him do as I told him.

Annabeth fought the satyr all the way, crying, screaming and kicking. She wanted to help, but Grover persevered, and got her across the boundary line, and somehow managed to keep her there.

As I was thinking about this, the Fury nearly got through my defenses, I quickly refocused my attention, slicing through one of the dracaena. Another quickly took her place.

Sweat dripped into my eyes, making my vision blurry. Blood coursed through my veins with a nearly intolerable heat, my arms and legs ached , it wouldn't be long before they gave out on me all together.

I saw Thalia fighting two of the Furies and three hellhounds, she worked with a manic energy, never seeming to tire. She destroyed a hellhound, then sliced through the oncoming Fury.

Revitalized by the sight, I stared fighting with a new zeal, killing my Fury and a hellhound in one giant arc. I stabbed a dracaena and dared the others with my eyes to come forward.

But even with my redoubled efforts, they just kept coming. I could never get the advantage, there were just too many. Left, right and center, they were there. And behind them there was another line, then another.

I screamed as a dracaena got the best of me, slicing a huge gash in the back of my leg, the cold steel biting deep into my muscle. A hellhound used this as an opportunity to clamp on to my arm, ripping off a huge chunk of flesh.

I felt my energy drain along with my blood, but continued to try and beat the monsters back. I was failing miserably.

Through the noise of clashing swords, snarling monsters and battle cries I heard Thalia scream, "Luke! You can't help anymore. Go!" I didn't move, I kept fighting and ignored Thalia's pleas. I would not abandon her. In my peripheral vision, I saw her break away from her group of monsters, and sprint towards me.

She shoved her way through the monsters, killing them as she went. When she reached me she grabbed me by the hair and pulled my face up to look at her. "Luke Castellan," she whispered, "You will leave or so help me, I will kill you myself." Her eyes flashed, and she pushed me in the direction of the hill.

She was right, I wasn't helping anymore, my wounds were turning me into more of a hindrance than help. I ran as fast as my injured leg would carry me, trying to get away before Thalia would have to defend me.

When I reached the boundary, I collapsed. My body would carry me no farther than safety. I watched in horror as more and more monsters caught up to Thalia.

She killed at least three monsters with every swing, but then six more would take the dead ones' place. They bit, tore, howled, sliced there was no way she was getting out of there alive.

I watched despairingly as a dracaena sliced her arm nearly in two, a hellhound bit her ankle and a hit to top of her head made her hair sticky with blood.

Finally, it was too much, Thalia ran. She tried to break away from the group surrounding her, but they held her back. They formed a circle around her, pressing inward.

She finally managed to break free, she broke through the line of creatures and sprinted towards safety. The monsters chased after her, but complete despair was incased in her muscles, giving her near inhuman speed.

I knew she was going to make it, she had too. Then, just as she reached the border, she tripped. She fell to her knees, and couldn't find the will to get up. She had given up, she was leaving her life to the Fates.

I tried to stand, I could drag her over the line. But the second I put weight on my injured leg, it collapsed, throwing me to the ground. I began army-crawling toward her, using my one good leg and my elbows to move towards her.

All I could think was please, the word became a chant in my mind. _Please, please, please, please…_The word became of near religious importance in my brain, and eventually it made it's way to my mouth.

"Please, please, please, please…" I spat the word out, shoving it past my clenched teeth. I couldn't stop, if I stopped I would fall apart.

Just before the monsters caught up with Thalia, she cried out, "Zeus!" her voice cracked, "Help me!" she began to sob, kneeling on the ground, waiting.

Just as a hellhound tried to snap her femur in two, Thalia began to change. She morphed into something tall and hard, and as she changed, the monsters were forced to back up. Some force that I could not see was pushing them backwards.

Just before unconsciousness robbed me of my vision, I saw that Thalia had been transformed into a tall, stately pine tree.

This had been Thalia, Daughter of Zeus', last stand.

**Review, please.**


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